We Are Family
by BatmanSwim2016
Summary: They are family, possibly the greatest the world has ever seen. They argue, they fight, and they get on each other's nerves, but above all else, they love each other. They are the Whitebeards. This is a collection of one-shots of the Whitebeard Pirates, featuring my OC, Aerie. Summaries are given before each story. Rated T to be safe. Previously titled "Remember The Time?"
1. Mother Dear

**Sorry guys! Fanfiction couldn't locate this story so I had to republish it!**

**Title: Mother Dear**

**Genre: Family**

**Summary: Aerie gets fed up with Marco's attitude, so she retaliates the only way she can: excessive name-calling.**

* * *

It was a normal day on the _Moby Dick_ for Tanaka Aerie. She was busy training with Marco, like she did every day. She wasn't quite sure why, but he insisted they "train" together every afternoon, even though she had proven time and time again she could handle herself in a fight. Though, really, if she had to be honest, they never really trained, it was more like, Marco-make-fun-of-Aerie-as-she-tries-to-land-a-solid-hit-on-him time. On that particular day, he chose sword fighting to be the subject of their "lesson".

"You're not swinging your arm at the right angle, yoi," the First Division commander said in an exasperated tone while lowering his own sword.

At this point in time, Aerie had been fighting him for almost an hour. She was tired, bruised, sweaty, and had been hearing him gave the same piece of advice countless times. Thus, she muttered the first thing that came to her mind as a retort: "Sorry, mom."

Marco stared at her with a bewildered expression on his face, like he couldn't believe she said that. To be honest, he had expected her usual grumbling about being tired, but this insult was new to the Phoenix-man. "M-m-mom?" He sputtered. "I am not your mother!"

The words were already out, and Aerie couldn't take them back. Not that she wanted to. Marco's expression was priceless: his eyes were wide open as was his mouth, and his face was ever so slightly turning red. It was nice seeing him get flustered at what she said for a change. So, Aerie decided to stick with the taunting. "Yeah, well you sure act like one. You're always badgering me about being careful and how I behave. You might as well change your gender and adopt me now."

Marco's face turned even more red. "That's ridiculous, yoi."

"I'm pretty sure you're old enough to be my mother, too."

"I'm barely a year older than you are!"

"Do you prefer mama or mommy? Or perhaps just mother?"

"What are you two arguing about this time?" This was Izo, standing a few feet away with his arms crossed. "Honestly, could you be any less mature?"

Marco regained a little bit of his composure. "It's nothing, Izo. Aerie seems to think it's appropriate to label me as her mother."

Izo looked back and forth between the two; first at Aerie, then at Marco, Aerie, then Marco again. Finally he deadpanned, "I can see it."

"What?! I do not act like her mother!"

Izo turned to Aerie. "Why does he overreact like this?"

"I don't know, maybe it's what happens when you become a parent?" She replied with a shrug.

"OI!" Marco's cheeks were crimson with anger and embarrassment.

"What's goin' on?" Asked Eliza as she and Thatch walked up to the group.

"I declared Marco as my mother," Aerie answered.

Eliza and Thatch looked at her, then at Marco. At the same time, they nodded and said, "Yeah, I can see it."

"I'm not her mother!"

"You think it's his bird instincts that are kickin' in?" Eliza mused, totally ignoring the flustered commander.

"Probably," agreed Thatch. "Honestly, though, he's been kind of like a mother hen around all of us, hasn't he?"

"Will you guys please stop? It's seriously getting old." Marco gritted out.

"Yes, mother," all four pirates answered.


	2. Matchmaker

**I finally decided to update this story, haha. I also changed the title and the summary!**

**Title: Matchmaker**

**Genre: Humor/Romance(ish)**

**Summary: What could possibly go wrong when Thatch and Vista decide to play matchmaker?**

* * *

Thatch like to think of himself as an expert on all things dealing with the heart. He could tell just by gazing deep into someone's eyes what they were truly feeling. The eyes were the window to the soul, and he had seen many things in the eyes of many people.

Which is why he was convinced Marco and Aerie were in love. The way they interacted was so unique, filled with insults and withering remarks, and he was sure of what they felt for each other.

He first noticed, or began noticing, when Marco and Aerie first started training on the deck in the day rather than in the room for which it was built, as their sparring and other activities became too destructive to remain inside.

It was on such a day he decided he would do something about it. The two were squared off on deck, ready to begin their sparring match that would mean the end of the training session. He was sitting with Eliza as the two lunged forward, each trying to gain the advantage over the other.

He sighed contentedly. "Just look at them, Eliza," he said, gesturing to their friends fighting on the deck. "Isn't that just the sweetest thing you've ever seen? Two young people fighting in a way to show their affection?"

Eliza raised an eyebrow and looked down at the pair. Marco had apparently said something Eliza missed, but it made Aerie yell something back at him in irritation. She snorted. "I suppose, if that's what you call 'affection', though I've seen more effective methods of courting."

Thatch suddenly smacked his fist down onto his flattened palm. "We've got to do something about this, Eliza! Without our help, their true feelings may never blossom!" He exclaimed boldly.

Eliza whipped her head around to gape at him. "Wait, yer serious? There's no way they would have those feelings for each other. I mean, have you honestly been watchin' them, lad?"

"I've never been more serious," Thatch nodded. "It's something we must do as their friends and their family."

"Don't involve me! I don't want anythin' to do with this!"

Thatch crossed his arms and huffed. "Fine, spoil sport. I'll just find someone else to help, then. I'm sure somebody sees what I'm seeing."

~...~

The search to find a matchmaking partner proved to be harder than Thatch originally thought. Izo flat-out refused, Jozu stared at him silently, and Namur just walked away without another word. Even Whitebeard said no. However, Thatch soon found a suitable partner in the Fifth Division commander, Vista. The tall swordsman pondered his request while stroking his magnificent mustache, before grinning and agreeing to help. Now that that was over, the two had to come up with a foolproof plan to push the lovebirds together. It took a couple of hours of hard thinking on both men's parts, but they eventually came up with a plan.

It started the next morning, with Aerie waking up to find a folded note on the bedside with her name beautifully written on the front. She opened it, assuming it was from Eliza. She was surprised to find, thought, that it was a love note. It read:

_My dearest Aerie,_

_The apple of my eye, the shining star of my universe, the ground beneath my feet. All of these phrases and many more cannot even scrape the surface of how much I love you. I have admired you from afar and from up close for many a days, but have been too shy to tell you how I feel. I want you to meet me on the edge of the cliffs on the next island we dock at seven p.m. so we may discuss the possibility of the future of us._

_Your Secret Admirer_

Aerie had to read the note several times to make sure her eyes weren't playing a trick on her. It was written with a thin spidery script, and the paper was of the heavy, expensive kind. She turned it over to see if the note continued, but it did not. She read it one more time before she neatly folded it and...

...threw it in the wastebasket beside her bed.

_Give me a break_, she thought crossly. _I don't have time for this crap. I'd bet anything this was Thatch or Marco trying to screw with me._ She left her shared cabin and headed in the direction of the stairs that led to the deck.

Thatch and Vista hurried into her room as soon as she was up the stairs. They searched everywhere in the room for the note, looking under pillows, in the chest at the foot of her bed, and even in the bedside drawer itself. They were both very discouraged to find it in the wastebasket.

"That's okay!" Thatch said determinedly. "We'll just move on to Phase Two of Operation Hook Up Marco and Aerie!"

~...~

Phase Two turned out to be as much of a failure as Phase One had. This time, they tried to confront Marco about his supposed feelings for the ship's resident artist. They cornered him in the dining hall after everyone, including Aerie, had departed from breakfast.

Marco looked between his fellow commanders in confusion laced with mild irritation. "What's going on here, yoi?" He asked.

Thatch shook his head. "Marco, Marco, Marco," he said. "Marco, Marco, Marco, Marco."

"Why do you keep saying my name? Just get it over with!" A vein appeared on the Phoenix's forehead.

"You know why we're here," Thatch sighed dramatically.

"No, I don't. Please enlighten me."

"We're here to talk about Aerie," Vista explained while stroking his mustache.

Irritation turned into confusion on Marco's face. "Eh? Why would we talk about her, yoi?"

"We've got some very interesting information for you, bird-brain. It seems Aerie has got herself a secret admirer." Thatch said with a nod.

Marco's face went back to it's usual, lazy expression. "Good for her. So what?"

Thatch sighed again and turned to Vista. "I think he's in denial. What about you?"

"Denial? Why would I be in denial?"

Vista sighed as well. "Definitely denial, Thatch." He said solemnly.

"You have two seconds to tell me what's going on before I plant your heads in the wall, yoi."

"Well," Thatch said, speaking as though he would to a small child. "I overheard her saying she was interested in this admirer."

Marco sighed impatiently and crossed his arms. "Still not seeing what the big deal is, Thatch."

"If she's with someone else, how can she be with you?" Vista asked.

Marco's jaw dropped. Is that what they've been trying to say? The large swordsman mistook his shock for depression and he patted his arm sympathetically.

"I know, it's horrible!" Thatch cried, throwing an arm over his eyes. "Poor Marco! His true love shall never know the feelings he harbors for her!"

"So tragic!" Vista added, also throwing his arm in front of his eye. All Marco could do was stare at his fellow commanders and wonder if they had gone insane.

"I don't-"

"There's still time, Marco!" Thatch said, taking his hand. Marco pulled it back. "She said she would meet him tomorrow at seven! You can confess to her before then-"

Thatch was cut off by Marco grabbing his head and slamming it into the floor. He did the same with Vista, before stalking out of the dining hall, muttering, "Idiots."

~...~

Training that afternoon was somewhat tense. Aerie was still upset over the note she found and not being able to track down the source, and Marco was still livid with his brothers. Their moves were choppy and aggressive as they sparred, both causing more damage than intended. One particular blow from Marco's foot went to Aerie's side, which was still sensitive from the wound caused by the Machinist. She gasped in pain and fell to the floor of the training room.

Marco knelt beside her as soon as she hit the ground. "Are you all right, yoi?" He asked, actually concerned.

"Fine," she grunted. She accepted the hand he held out, and he pulled her to her feet.

"Sorry about that," he said. "May I-?" Aerie nodded and lifted the corner of her shirt for him to asses the damage. There was a footprint on her side, covering the scar that used to be an open wound. He brushed his fingers against the skin below her ribs, determining the mark would turn into a bruise. As his fingers lingered, the conversation he had with Thatch and Vista this afternoon returned to him, making him scowl and pull his hand away.

Aerie watched his expression change from concern to anger as his hand moved away from her side. She lowered her shirt as he took a step back to glare at the wall, his cheeks slightly flushed. "What's wrong? You seem angry."

Marco grunted. "It's nothing, yoi. Just something Thatch and Vista said earlier."

"What happened?" She asked as she tilted her head.

"They were talking about something stupid. It was along the lines of, 'Aerie's getting a boyfriend, and it isn't you'."

Aerie cocked an eyebrow. "Where on earth did they hear about that?"

Marco shrugged, still not meeting her gaze. "Dunno. They were talking about a love note from an admirer-"

"Hold on, a note?" Her gaze narrowed. "How could they have known about that I threw it..." Her eyes widened in realization. "Thatch. I'm going to kill that stupid, pompadoured-"

"What are you talking about, yoi?" It was now Marco's turn to be confused.

"I found a note this morning in my cabin from a 'secret admirer' wanting to meet me tomorrow night. I threw it in the trash." She frowned. "At first I thought it was you messing with me, but now I know it's obviously Thatch."

"That-" Marco said a word Aerie had never heard before. "I knew he and Vista were messing with me, telling me that load of crap about my supposed feelings."

"Feelings? For...me?" Her cheeks reddened. "What did you say to them?"

"Told them they were being stupid and smashed their heads into the floor." He shrugged.

Aerie chuckled. "Wish I could have seen that. So, are we good?" She held out her hand.

Marco shook it. "Yeah, we're cool, yoi." His smile took a slightly sinister tone as he leaned forward. "I think I have an idea for what we can do to get back at them, too." She leaned in to hear his whispered plan. An equally sinister smile stretched across her face and she giggled maliciously.

"Let's do it," she snickered.

~...~

No one was entirely sure who put make up on the Fourth and Fifth Division commanders' faces, but Thatch knew for certain it was a certain pair of bird-brains currently in the training room, laughing their butts off as they looked at the pictures Aerie had taken with her camera.

* * *

**What did you think? Review, follow, and favorite, please!**

**~Batman**


	3. Miss You

**Title: Miss You**

**Genre: Angst**

**Summary: Izo goes to visit some old friends.**

* * *

On an unnamed island in Paradise, there was a path leading to the top of a hill. The hill itself was magnificent and very large. From the top, one could view the entire island.

It was up this hill that Izo now trekked, carefully making his way up the steep incline. It had rained on the island recently, the ground slushy and muddy and ruining Izo's nice shoes. Nevertheless, he walked on until he reached the top. In his arms were two bouquets of white and orange flowers, along with a bottle of the finest of sakes.

When he reached the top of the hill, he paused for a moment to view the path he had recently climbed. He could see in all directions, even down to the shore where he had left his small boat. Far away on the horizon was a large ship, a ship that he had just departed from earlier that morning. He smiled to himself and turned around.

Bowing first to show respect, he placed the two bouquets and the sake at the base of the two objects in front of him. He crossed his legs and sat down in front of them, sitting straight and not speaking a word.

Finally, he said, "Sorry I haven't been up here lately. We've been pretty busy."

He was met with silence, but he didn't stop. "You both look well," he commented. "Well, you know, same as the last time I was here."

He looked at the larger of the two. "We're all doing fine," he assured it. "We got caught up over in the New World, which is why I didn't come earlier."

More silence. "Marco's a fine captain," he noted. "He knows what he's doing when it comes to leading others. He said he wished he could've come, but he didn't want to leave the crew." He explained further by adding, "Some Marines attacked us a couple days ago. A few of the weaker members got injured. He wanted to stay to make sure they were doing alright. He promises to come when he can, though.

"He's got a big heart, that one," Izo murmured quietly. "He still has us go to help any of the islands that still fly our flag when they need us. He'll do anything for them. It's a miracle he hasn't gone insane yet. I know I couldn't do it. Lead the crew, I mean. He's just a natural born leader.

The object didn't react. "I wonder if it's Aerie who's been keeping him sane for all this time," he mused. "She's training the younger members and organizing what's left of the Divisions. Without her, I wonder if he could make it through the day." He chuckled. "Of course, they still argue like an old married couple, so not a lot has changed."

He sighed contentedly. "I think she's thrown away the mask and cape for good this time. Says in the end, she thought it did more harm than good. She didn't want to hide anymore, either, I think."

Izo turned to the smaller object. "Your little brother's doing well," he said. He pulled out a newspaper clipping featuring a picture of a raven-haired young man, grinning at the camera without a care in the world. "You might not believe it, but he did it. Found the One Piece and became King of the Pirates. He and his crew are on their way here now to see you."

Nothing. "Put the world in a spin. Not a lot of people though he could actually do it. But he did, so that's that." He paused, then pulled out another clipping in excitement. "Oh, I almost forgot! The Government's in shambles right now. Seems the Revolutionaries finally succeeded. Though, it hasn't stopped those still loyal to the Government trying to get rid of Dragon and returning everything it the way it was. He came to the ship a while back. Thanked us for helping you and your brother out during the War. His wife came, too, so she and Aerie had the chance to catch up for a bit.

"Your grandfather visited as well. Thanked us for watching out for your irresponsible ass for so long." Izo laughed. "He was disappointed to have missed Dragon though. Hasn't seen him in a while apparently. Go figure."

Not a sound came from either of the objects. But then again, they had been silenced long ago. They had stopped responding to Izo and the others for a while, but that didn't stop him from talking. He sat in silence for another long minute before quietly adding, "We miss you, you know. Both of you." After another long moment, he stood up and walked back down the path he had traveled, leaving behind the giant white memorials dedicated to Edward Newgate and Portgas D. Ace.

* * *

**XxFire-PhoenixxX: Maybe later ;)**

**Savage Kill: Thanks!**

**Yeah, I know...I'm a horrible person. But this one's been rambling around in my head for a while now, and I was just able to write it this morning. Favorite! Follow! Review! (Please!)**

**~Batman**


	4. Nice to Meet You!

**Title: Nice to Meet You!**

**Genre: Friendship**

**Summary: Ace makes a new friend.**

* * *

Portgas D. Ace leaned grumpily against the railing of the _Moby Dick_, arms wrapped around his legs. Another one of his attempts to take Whitebeard's life had failed, resulting in him being thrown though the wall of the giant man's cabin again. As always, he awoke in the infirmary of the massive ship, patched up and ready to go and try again. The nice, redheaded nurse had been there this time, giving him that look of compassion that made his insides twist with disgust. He didn't deserve her compassion or pity, nor did he deserve it from anyone on the crew. He deserved their anger and their loathing for what he tried to do time and time again to their captain. He deserved to be locked up in the brig of the ship, not allowed to walk wherever he pleased.

Despite the fact he deserved these and even more, the only thing the Whitebeard Pirates had shown him was kindness. The doctors and nurses patched him up every time he was hurt, the cooks made sure he had food, and the entire genuinely tried to include him in whatever they did. For the most part, he replied with a, "Thanks, but no," and they would leave him alone. Sometimes that pompadoured man, Thatch, would stick around and talk to him (or at least try), and the pineapple-head guy, Marco, would try to persuade him to join the crew, but most of the time he was left alone to sulk.

He was so absorbed in his thoughts he didn't notice the light footsteps approaching him until they were about three feet away. Assuming it was Marco or Thatch, he lifted his head to tell them to please, go away, but he was surprised to find it was someone else entirely.

For one thing, the person wasn't a man, but a woman. She wore a simple, white t-shirt and tight, black capris, and her hair was in a braid pulled over to the left side of her neck. The most noticeable feature about her was her bright, golden eyes, which seemed to pierce through Ace's very being. She grinned when she saw he had finally noticed her.

"Hey there," she said with a small wave of her hand. The other hand was behind her back, obviously hiding something from Ace's view. "Mind if I bother you for a second?"

This was certainly a turn of events. Not many of the women on board bothered talking to him because they thought he was rude. Ace had seen this particular woman around the ship, mostly arguing with Marco or laughing with Thatch. She was also friends with the redheaded nurse in the infirmary. He was about to tell her to leave, but he reconsidered and shrugged instead. The woman's smile widened, lighting up her whole face.

"Hey, thanks!" She sat down beside him, and without warning, wrapped an arm around his neck, pulling him closer to her. She took out the object from behind her back and held it in front of them. "Smile!" She said happily as a bright flash came from the device.

Ace blinked a couple times to rid his retina of the spots caused by the flash. He turned to see what she was holding, only to discover it was actually a camera. He scowled. He didn't like having his picture taken, especially by an enemy (unless it was the Marine photographer, of course). He was about to tell her so, but the wide grin on her face stopped him.

She held up the picture for him to see. She was smiling at the camera while he had a dumbfounded expression on his face. Now that bright smile was directed at him. "I'm definitely keeping this one." She stated. She held out her hand to him. "I'm Aerie, by the way."

Thinking it would be rude not to, especially to a woman, Ace shook it. "Ace," he said simply.

"Nice to meet you, Ace," she said happily.

Ace smiled a little, then turned his head to resume staring at the wall in front of him, expecting her to leave. When it was silent, he assumed she had left. He was startled, thought when she said, "So, are you gonna sit and sulk all day, or are you actually gonna talk to me?"

He turned back to her. She was smirking at him, making him flush a little. He sighed, gaining a little control over his foul temper.

"Sorry," he said gruffly. "Not used to you guys sticking around for long."

She shrugged. "It's cool. You're upset, I get it. Everyone gets that way sometimes, and it's hard to get some alone time, especially on a ship with this many crew members."

Ace snorted in reply. Darned right it was impossible to be alone. Crew members constantly bugged him to join them in their escapades or to explore an island. Every time his answer had been no. Aerie was watching his reaction, probably to see if he would get mad and storm off.

When he didn't act out of anger, she sighed and leaned back against the railing. "'Course, it wasn't always this way." He gave her a questioning look, so she explained, "I remember when I first joined the crew. We didn't have nearly as many members, but we were still a force to be reckoned with. With me, we had about five hundred members."

Ace's eyes widened. Marco had told him some time ago that there were over 1,600 members! "How long have you been here?" He asked uncertainly.

A corner of her mouth lifted into a smile. "Kid, I've been on this ship longer than you've been alive." She saw his shocked expression and laughed.

Ace's jaw hung open and his eyes bugged slightly. There was no way this woman was a day over twenty-five, maybe thirty! "What-? How- Just how old are you?!" He immediately winced. He didn't mean for that question to come out that harshly.

To his surprise, she laughed harder. "Oh, you are so precious!" If possible, Ace's jaw dropped further. "Seriously, you should see your face right now!" She was hunched over and tears were streaming from her eyes.

Aerie finally stopped laughing, and sat back up, wiping stray tears from her cheeks. She chuckled and said, "Oh, kid, I haven't laughed that much in ages." She sighed and leaned back against the railing again. "Actually, I just turned forty-one." She glanced at him and smirked. "You're gonna catch flies with your mouth open like that."

Ace closed his gaping mouth and looked away. After another moment of silence from the teen, he muttered, "Sorry, that was rude of me."

Now it was Aerie's turn to be surprised. She quickly recovered, and smiled at the boy. "No worries, we're both pirates. We're not the most polite people in the world." His embarrassed glance her way made her smile even more. Oh, this kid was just too cute!

The two sat in comfortable silence until they heard Aerie's name being called from another part on deck. She sighed and rolled her eyes. "Sounds like Marco needs me again," she muttered. She stood up and stretched before looking back down at Ace with a soft look in her eyes. "Nice talking to you, Ace." He nodded in reply, but before she left she asked, "Ace?" He looked at her, and her mouth curved upwards into a smile. "You've got such a handsome face, kid. It's a shame you use it to frown all of the time."

With that, she turned and walked away to find Marco. What she didn't see was the color that had risen to Ace's cheeks, and the small, reluctant smile that came with it.

* * *

**Savage Kill: Tell me about it! When I thought of this I cried. I purposefully skipped the part where they died in the anime because I knew I'd cry. Yeah, they're doing just fine. :)**

**XxFire-PhoenixxX: Haha, thanks! I don't think he will because I don't think power is really Marco's thing. Plus, I'm not one-hundred-percent sure he is the new captain. For now, it's just a theory. **

**Hehe, guess I finally decided to write... But, I have a good reason! It's called homework and stupid teachers that want me to finish all of their homework X(. Ugh...**

**You know the drill! Favorite, follow, and review! See you next time!**

**~Batman**


	5. Night Watch

**Title: Night Watch **

**Genre: Humor (or at least, my attempts to be humorous)**

**Summary: Thatch has a bit of a difficulty making Apollo understand the crow's nest is not his nest.**

* * *

When Thatch was asked to be on night watch, he expected to have a nice, quiet evening spent in the crow's nest with a fuzzy blanket and a bottle of rum. He thought he would spend the hours in lovely solitude watching the stars and the sky turn from a velvety navy to a pale periwinkle. He knew what to do in case of an emergency, like some poor chap trying to kill Pops; a fire (thanks to the idiots in charge of the lanterns); or even if the boat started to sink (definitely the worse thing that could happen, seeing as there were Devil Fruit users on board).

Thatch grabbed a bottle of rum from the kitchen, expertly sneaking it out from under the eyes of Haruta and the twelfth division. He took a blanket from a pile of spares in a hall closet and headed up to the deck, nodding at a few members as a way of saying good night. He reached the deck and stretched, before reaching the ropes leading up to the crow's nest. This was the real struggle. He tucked the bottle of rum into the yellow sash at his waist, and the blanket he tied around his shoulders. He made it to the top of the ropes without a problem. The problem lay inside the crow's nest itself. For in the crow's nest, lay sleeping the one thing Thatch had not accounted for in his list of bad situations.

Lying there peacefully, without a care in the world, was Apollo, the large golden eagle and faithful companion of Aerie. Thatch stared at the bird, completely unsure of what to do next. The only one the giant bird listened to was Aerie. Without her, Thatch seriously doubted he could convince him that he needed the crow's nest more than the bird did. However, it was pretty late, so Aerie was probably asleep. Thatch was, after all, a gentleman, and gentlemen did not wake ladies from their beauty sleep, especially since this particular lady had just returned from traveling that evening. Thatch sighed. Looks like he'd have to do this his way.

"Alright buddy," he said to the giant bird. "Looks like you're going to have to get up."

The bird didn't even wake up. Thatch sighed and moved the be at his side. He put his hands on his shoulder. "Apollo, move." He ordered.

Apollo opened one of his big, brown eyes, and the next thing Thatch knew was flying through the air. He crashed on the deck flat on his back, giving him the perfect view of Apollo peering over the edge of the crow's nest at him.

"Stupid bird!" He called up. Apollo merely drew his head back and presumably went back to sleep. Grumbling, Thatch got to his feet and glared at the bird. He needed to be up in the crow's nest, but without Aerie, he doubted he could even get in there.

_I'm not going to wake her up, though. She just got back! _Thatch thought to himself. He put a hand on his chin and rubbed it contemplatively. An idea came to his mind and he scurried into the kitchen. He came out with a large chunk of meat and quickly climbed the ladder again.

Just as he suspected, Apollo had fallen asleep again. Thatch had to say his name twice before he even cracked an eyelid open. He cautiously held out his bait to the bird of prey and smiled toothily.

"Hey buddy," he said, "I got some tasty meat for you here." Apollo raised his head to look at the meat greedily. He stretched his neck to take the meat from Thatch's hand, but the pirate drew his hand back out of his reach. "Ah-ah-ah. You have to leave the crow's nest if you want it."

Apollo looked mildly irritated that he hadn't gotten the treat. A sly gleam came into his eyes that Thatch didn't like one bit. Moving faster than one would expect from a bird his size, Apollo lunged forward and grabbed the meat in his beak. Thatch was so startled that he jumped back, only to find himself already at the railing. With this action, he slowly tipped backwards...

...and fell out of the crow's nest again.

As he found himself on his back on the deck, again, Thatch hear the bird making a strange coughing noise. His jaw dropped and his eyes narrowed as he realized what was going on. _He's laughing at me!_ This was the last straw for Thatch. He angrily got to his feet, already planning his next move.

When he next came up the mast, he held his sword in his hand. "Alright bird," he spat. Apollo raised his head and glared at the man. "This ends now!" He lunged at the golden eagle.

Apollo simply flapped his wings once in order to dodge the attack. He landed on Thatch's head, instantly crushing his pompadour. Thatch let out a growl of frustration and tried to swipe at the bird again, but Apollo knocked the sword from his hand. With a screech, Apollo took off holding Thatch in his talons. Desperately, he fumbled to grasp at the bird's leg, but he let go before the man could. Thatch landed once more on the deck, but this time, he fell unconscious.

The last thing Thatch saw was an undefeated Apollo flying back to his "nest".

~...~

Aerie woke up feeling refreshed. She had gotten straight to bed when she arrived back on the ship, stopping only to tell Pops how her mission had gone. Surprisingly, she had a full night's sleep, with no annoying interruptions from other crew members.

Stretching, she slowly got dressed in the cabin she shared with Eliza, careful to not wake the redheaded nurse. She quietly left the room to go on deck to find Marco and go to breakfast. As she came on deck, she beheld a curious sight.

Thatch was lying, spread-eagle in the center of the deck, right under the crow's nest. His prized pompadour was messed up, with feathers sticking every which way out of his hair. She looked up at the sky, wondering what could have caused this phenomenon. Shrugging, she left her brother to sleep, and went to the galley for breakfast.

* * *

**Savage Kill: Ah! If it isn't my old friend, Savage Kill! Long time, no see! Haha I was beginning to think you forgot about me ;). I can totally see that too! Am I detecting a new one-shot? Ugh, really?! I just updated and you want another?! You're killing me here, man! ;) As always, thanks for the review!**

**Hah. I finally updated! Sorry if this one seems lame. I started it a long while back and just finished it. Hope you enjoyed!**

**Favorite! Follow! Review!**

**~BatmanSwim2016**


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